


Nosce Te Ipsum

by sparly503



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Currently human fic, Fluff, Post Cage, Well it's not entirely depressing at least, fears, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-25
Updated: 2013-05-25
Packaged: 2017-12-12 23:43:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/817421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparly503/pseuds/sparly503
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael and Lucifer discuss their fears because there just isn't anything better to do on a day when it's nigh on forty degrees centigrade and there's only one cold bottle of water in the fridge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nosce Te Ipsum

**Author's Note:**

> Haven't written anything for ages but found this lurking in the recesses of my phone.  
> Don't know, don't own, don't sue.  
> 40 degrees centigrade is about...104 fahrenheit? I don't know, something like that :)  
> (Also, I think Gabriel and Raphael are possibly alive in this, just AWOL)

"Does anything scare you?" Lucifer asks. He's lying flat down on the sofa, shirt discarded somewhere ( _neatly_ discarded somewhere, after Michael picked it up, ignoring Lucifer's snort that sounded suspiciously like the words _anal dickhead_ \- a logic Michael's not even going to contemplate), the heat laying a sheen down his back like silver. It's almost like he didn't say anything, until he kicks out at Michael with his foot and catches him on the shoulder where he's sitting on the floor, back against the chair.

"What? Oh, um, I don't know," Michael frowns. He's not really thought about it before. There wasn't much to be scared of before, in Heaven, apart from the slow dissolution that frayed it round the edges, and he recalls been apprehensive once or twice, recently, but not for himself. Living a mortal life and dying a mortal death doesn't trap him like it seems to do to humans; he already knows what's 'up there', and he knows what's way down too. Existential crises aren't his nature _\- you want to try Gabriel_ for that, he thinks wryly. He wonders if his little brothers are carrying out the same fate. Communication is damn difficult being a human. It's alright if you know where the person is, trying to find someone who's disappeared off the map (twice in Gabriel's case, one day Michael hopes to talk to him about that), especially if you're not even sure they actually are on it, is near impossible.

"It's alright if you aren't," Lucifer murmurs, his face half buried in a cushion, "I used to think you were entirely fearless."

Michael laughs.

"Entirely fearless. That'd be nice." He pauses, looking down at his still hands. "I thought once that our Father had left us."

"He has left us."

"He took us out of the cage."

"And made us human."

"For a purpose."

"Biggest fucking cop out I've ever heard. Not so much as a 'hello, how you been? Burning in hell? Great, good to know my plan's working'."

Michael sighs through his nose and rubs his face.

"Shut up, Lucifer," he says, but it's half-hearted. There's a pause, filled with hot, hot air and heat lines waving the horizon through the window. Then he asks, "So what're you scared of?"

"Hmmm," Lucifer rises in his seat, shifting his legs around so he can slide onto the floor next to Michael. "The odd little things I guess."

Michael doesn't say anything, waits for him to elaborate.

"I don't know, having the lights on and the curtains open at night."

"That scares you?" Michael asks incredulously. It's been awhile since he's been genuinely surprised and _is Lucifer scared of things that lurk in the dark?_

Lucifer shrugs, pulling his knees up although it's hot and putting his arms lightly around them.

"I guess it's the feeling of not being able to see what's looking in, and if something is, it can see me clear as day and I wouldn't have a clue." He ignores Michael's gaze, his lips turning down slightly as he shuts his eyes and shrugs again, in a non-committal kind of way. "It's ironic."

There's another silence.

"I suppose," Michael muses, cautious with his next words, "it's sort of like how when you go upstairs in the dark and you know nothing's going to come through the banisters and grab you, you know it, but then you think about it and your mind goes funny even when you're telling it not to, and you get a quiet 'what if?', and if you run up those last few stairs a bit quicker than usual, well...nobody knows except you."

What he's said is probably stupid but Lucifer's smile is nearly as warm as the day.

"When have you ever had a 'what if?' voice?" he mocks, then nudges Michael with his knee when his mouth tightens. "Hey, that's exactly what it's like. Funny world, isn't it?"

"What, you being worried about demons in the dark and my resolve wavering? Perhaps Father had the right idea."

"Well if this is another higher plan to teach us something, I'm still not really feeling it. I've seen Crimewatch, I know how easy it is for people to watch your house, break in at night, smother you..."

Michael hits him upside the head.

"Shut up," he repeats, but his tone's a bit more buoyant. "If someone smothered you it'd be a blessing."

"Why did I get stuck with you?"

"A question I ask myself every day."

Lucifer laughs, and it's so nice to hear his brother laughing, something he can't get enough of, so he reaches out, takes his hand and laughs with him.

"Hey, want to hear something grotesquely sweet?" Lucifer grins after a minute.

"Yeah," says Michael, "why not."

"I'm most scared of you dying," Lucifer says, humour waning from his face. "I think if you left me, I wouldn't stay in this life, living like a human, for much longer. You can only leave me so many times."

"Oh," Michael replies, and "right," and when the dawning’s of hurt begin to spread on his brothers face, he backtracks fast, "no," he says, cursing his lack of adequate words, "I mean, I think that was a veiled jab at me but yes, I get it, I agree - I mean, _damnit_ you know what I mean."

"You mean ditto." Lucifer looks slightly pacified, almost smirking again.

"I'm sure that's what I mean."

"You mean ditto and you also mean 'yes, Lucifer, I'd die without you too and to prove it I'm going to let you drink the last cold water in the fridge'."

"I one hundred per cent do not mean that."

"Too late," Lucifer laughs, standing up way too fast than is appropriate for the temperature without fainting, and dancing out of the way of Michael's swiping hands. He saunters over to the kitchen, calling out,

"If you're nice I'll get you some ice."

"Liar," Michael mutters, trying not to smile.

Lucifer puts ice down his back. And takes a long swig of cold water.

"I never lie," he says sweetly, so Michael contemplates cutting his hair off while he sleeps.


End file.
